It’s a door closed to me for the foreseeable future, but when I was a poly lecturer, I was rather involved in humanitarian work. I led 3 student groups to Vietnam, Shangri-La and The Philippines, all of which are incidentally featured in this book.

This could explain why it unleashed the stirrings of my heart that were so dormant I thought I had buried them in the recesses of my memory labyrinth. I finished the whole book today, notwithstanding parenting duties. “Larger than Life” is a testament to the transformative power of travel. Each chapter describes Belinda Lee’s sincere attempt to connect with an overseas Singaporean who is trying to do good in his/her adopted land. Their life journeys are as varied, vivid and vibrant as the colours of the rainbow. In fact, I’m certain that just providing a blurb of their ventures will make you go ‘WOW’. Running orphanages in India. Managing mountain dwellers’ mental health in China. Bee keeping in Uganda. Managing a soup kitchen in Mongolia. Operating a backpacker’s hostel in Shangri-La. Launching a cafe in Vietnam. Mothering Cambodian landmine victims. Building a cycling team in Kenya. Being a Deaf theatre actor in Scotland. Who says that Singaporeans lack guts and imagination?

These protagonists’ endeavours may be as different as night and day, but they share a fierce commitment to serve the local community. More than one Singaporean express how they are but a mere catalyst to stimulating hope within the beneficiaries. Two families raised their children in Shangri-La and Vietnam respectively, which goes to show how their determination to stand by their local staff evokes to become the North Star in their lives. To say that I’m humbled is an understatement.

Between the lines of their narratives, I also derived pride from the value my countrymen brought to the table. Of course, other cultures aren’t as big on time and planning as us. I love how our conditioning could be leveraged as we try to effect change - often by paving the way ourselves.

In addition, one word frequently cropped up - hospitality. It’s perhaps ironic how people who have been through harsh times can maintain such lightness of spirit. They prepared feasts for Belinda and her comrades, despite not having much themselves. They made her feel at ease with their smiles and laughter. Perhaps this is so because even if they don’t have many material possessions, they are inextricably connected to their peers and benefactors. Perhaps they are wealthier than what we assume them to be.

If there is one area of improvement about this book, I hope that Belinda Lee could have probed deeper about these Singaporeans’ passion and purpose and come up with some encompassing statements that might encourage her readers to do something worthwhile with their lives. She did write something about the power of one on her last page, about how an individual can create impact in the world. But this exploration to me is just showcasing the icing on the cake.